Managing reputation when the world won’t sit still
Newsrooms are under increasing pressure to do more with less. As audiences become less willing to pay for news and media organisations face ongoing cuts, journalists are increasingly reliant on PR professionals to help fill the gaps. But with that reliance comes an important responsibility: don’t waste a journalist’s time.
Having spent more than a decade in journalism, I know firsthand how frustrating irrelevant pitches can be. It’s hard not to become jaded when someone clearly hasn’t taken the time to understand the stories you cover or the audience you serve. Towards the end of my journalism career, I even set up email rules to automatically delete pitches from repeat offenders. Three strikes and you were out.
The reality is that PR and journalism need each other. A well-crafted media release can provide the starting point for a strong story and, at the very least, creates a record that can help journalists hold organisations and governments to account.
Now, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the challenges on the other side of the fence. Media databases can be outdated, job titles are often ambiguous, and newsroom turnover is high. Identifying the right journalist to contact can feel like an impossible task.
The lesson is this: successful media engagement is about relationships, research and understanding.
At Currie, we start by understanding our clients and their industries. We take the time to identify the journalists most likely to be interested in a story and tailor our approach accordingly. Wherever possible, we draw on existing media relationships and conversations to gauge interest before pitching.
Because in an increasingly stretched media landscape, relevance matters. And who you know not what you know is really what makes all the difference.
